Xbox Lockhart Model Will Reportedly Be Revealed in August

Rumors of a second next-gen Xbox model are becoming increasingly difficult for Microsoft to ignore. The slimmer model, dubbed "Lockhart," is reportedly planned to be revealed this August, as another option for Xbox's next generation of console hardware.

Over at Eurogamer, a report looks towards August for the reveal of Microsoft's smaller alternative to the Series X. This is corroborated by GamesBeat's own report, both expecting a Lockhart debut in August.

This would line up with the previously announced monthly cadence of news from Microsoft, though the schedule got a little murky this month. Xbox recently denied that it had pushed anything back, saying the team was looking ahead to its forthcoming July showcase. The July event will be focused on Xbox's first-party offerings from its various Xbox Game Studios.

The Lockhart rumor has been circling for a while now, stretching back years. With new details like update notes specifically citing a Lockhart designation rising up, it's becoming harder for Xbox to deny the existence of a second box.

Meanwhile, the PlayStation 5 has already locked in two console designs: one with a disc drive, and one without. No more details have been revealed, especially as to whether these two will have a difference in price or power.

For a while, it looked like Xbox was in the lead for the next generation, but now it seems PlayStation has caught up. It'll be interesting to see how reactions to July's event, as well as the reported reveal of Lockhart in August, affect the run-up to this holiday season and the launch of the new consoles.